Half an Upgrade is Better Than None
by Count Mallet
Summary: Speculative one-shot. Just prior to the episode "Homeward Bound" (Season 2, Episode 3), Ace informs Matt of his decision to be part of the MASK racing team. However, Ace's new vehicle and mask aren't quite ready when Matt sends him to India to meet the newest MASK agent and enjoy some leisure time. Rated K-plus, but no objectionable content. [S34-F26-O15]


**Half an Upgrade is Better Than None.**

A _M.A.S.K._ fan fiction.

By Count Mallet.

* * *

Matt Trakker sighed. The switch to racing missions was still fairly new, but they were as stressful as MASK's traditional missions – possibly more so. Buddy "Clutch" Hawks narrowly foiled a VENOM plot at MASK's first racing mission, a demolition derby. And Matt somehow survived a run-in with Lester Sludge and Iguana's shredder blade a few days ago in Africa. Clutch was still busy making the necessary repairs to get Goliath I up and running at 100% again.

But it wasn't just the missions that were stressful. Some of his agents opted not to continue with the team after the transition. Gloria's decision to race exclusively as a professional wasn't too surprising. However, losing the knowledge and expertise of agents such as Hondo and Bruce was a big loss. Others, such as Jacques and Calhoun, preferred to be contacted only when their presence was necessary.

Matt had one last agent from which to receive a decision. He hoped Ace Riker would be interested with the new vehicle he would pilot if he remained a MASK agent. Not knowing what future missions might entail, Matt felt an air presence would be essential, especially after his encounter with the Mayhem brothers and their vehicle, Buzzard. He didn't know what was the bigger surprise: Buzzard's drone-controlled airship or the fact Miles Mayhem had a twin brother.

A knock on the door interrupted Matt's thoughts. _"Right on time,"_ Matt thought to himself.

"Come on in," he said.

Ace sat down. "Thanks, Matt. I thought it over and I have to admit that as much as I enjoy running my hardware store, I'm not quite ready to stop flying quite yet. I'm still not sure how that's going to help you with racing events, but I'd like remain a MASK agent," he replied.

Matt smiled. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Ace. Right now, my vehicle is the only one that flies, but I can't exactly use my slicker missiles in the air. Having a true flying machine – and someone who can pilot it properly – will be a big asset."

"I hate to be the devil's advocate here, Matt, but what good is a flying machine in an auto race?"

Matt anticipated the questions and pulled open the briefcase that held his portable computer. "I knew you'd ask that. Here are the design schematics for your new vehicle. We could definitely use your eyes and ears in the sky. You could see things we might not be able to on the ground. And if we ever have a mission that involves an air show or exhibition, you could participate in that."

Ace nodded. The thought of flying for show was interesting and might be a pleasant respite from the future missions and his time managing his store. His brow wrinkled as the screen displayed a different rendering of the vehicle.

"What's that?" Ace asked curiously.

"VENOM has a vehicle that's versatile on the ground and in the air. We need something similar as well. As you see here, the jet converts to a ground-based vehicle with these treads and the gun that extends from the rear." Matt then showed Ace another schematic and added, "And the front of the vehicle separates into a fully-armed miniature jet with controls to remotely control the portion still on the ground."

"Very interesting. You've definitely outdone yourself here, Matt. Does it have a name yet? I'm eager to test it out."

"We've given it the code name Meteor. I didn't know if you were going to stay with the team or not, so it's only partially completed at the moment. But now that I know you're staying, I can have the guys work non-stop to get it up and running for you. Don't worry, you'll get a chance to give it a test run before I have you join us on a mission."

"I definitely look forward to it."

"I do have something you can have now," Matt said. He reached down under his table and showed Ace his new mask. Ace looked at it curiously. It was largely blue and gray with some yellow. Aside from being more flexible and fitting his face better, it seemed similar to his previous boomerang mask.

"What's this one do?" Ace asked.

"For now, it's very similar to your old mask, except that it's called 'ricochet' and produces a round energy-like ring instead of a boomerang. Once Meteor is complete, we'll upgrade it with a different feature."

"I look forward to using it soon."

"Believe it or not, I do have a mission for you. Consider it your last mission before we retire Slingshot."

Ace looked at Matt, unsure of what kind of mission he'd be send on now. Slingshot really wasn't designed with speed in mind.

"We have a new agent from India, Ali Bombay. He asked for a vacation before I made him available for missions, so I granted him one to his native village. I know you like your leisure time, so I thought you might like to travel there to acquaint yourself with our newest member and enjoy some r & r."

Ace's smile slowly turned into a grin. "You don't have to ask me twice. Just let me pack. When do I leave?"

"Once you come back here, the MASK transport will drop you off in Kandukur. I'm sure Ali will be able to tell you where the best place to relax is once you rendezvous with him."

"Sounds good to me. Thanks, Matt," Ace said as he stood up and shook Matt's hand.

"Not a problem, Ace. I'm glad to have you staying with the team. I can definitely use you."

As Ace left to, he started to feel more excited about his unexpected vacation.

"_I better pack my fishing gear … just in case there's a good fishing hole where I'll be going in India," _he thought. ▄

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Kenner and D.I.C. Enterprises, Inc. appear to own M.A.S.K. characters & concepts.

**Commentary:** It appears few MASK fans enjoy the racing episodes. I'll admit the premise was a bit odd when I watched theses episodes as a kid during the original run, but with the right explanation – and possibly more than just ten episodes – fans **might** have warmed up to the second season.

As I've re-watched various episodes via YouTube, I've found it odd that Ace was sent to India for a combination vacation/partnership with Ali with his original vehicle, Slingshot, and a new mask (ricochet) that pretty much did the same thing as his old one (boomerang). And the next time we see Ace and his new vehicle, Meteor, boomerang/ricochet has presumably been retired in favor of cruise control. That had to be confusing.

I think the idea that Matt wasn't completely sure Ace would commit to the racing team would be plausible. After all, why go through the time and expense of completing Meteor and a new mask if he decided to decline to continue as a MASK agent? That might explain why Ace got a new mask with similar functionality while he took Slingshot for one last drive while the new vehicle and upgrades were yet to be completed. As we don't see Ace again for three more episodes, it might make sense that Meteor had to be completed and taken on test drives/flights before being ready for its maiden mission in the episode _Challenge of the Masters_.

I also found it a bit odd that Goliath I appeared to have both a pair of slicker missiles and a pair of lasers while operating in jet mode, yet we never saw the lasers being fired. It would seem illogical to pilot a flying vehicle with no weapons that could be used in the air.

While I have plans for at least one more racing team crossover, I also have plans for a non-racing crossover as well. I can only hope that is a bit more popular with the fans who prefer the traditional episodes from the cartoon's first season.


End file.
